Independence movements

Galicia: constitutional status and the independence question

Where the question stood on 19 September 2026: the legal position under the 1981 Statute, the 2024 election result, and public opinion.

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Status verified as of 19 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Current constitutional position

Galicia is an Autonomous Community of Spain under the Statute of Autonomy of 1981, which does not recognise a right of self-determination for Galicia.[1][2] No referendum on independence has been held or is legally provided for.

The 2024 Parliament of Galicia

The Popular Party holds an absolute majority (40 of 75 seats) under President Alfonso Rueda; the BNG, whose current platform includes long-term support for independence, is the second-largest party with 25 seats, its strongest recent result.[3][4]

Public opinion

A 2020 CIS post-electoral survey, as reported in the press, found over 80% of Galician respondents opposed to independence.[5]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: The Statute of Autonomy of Galicia entered into force on 6 April 1981, signed by King Juan Carlos I and President of the Government Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo.

    • Statute of Autonomy of Galicia of 1981 (Wikipedia) link, lead section. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The 1981 Statute does not recognise a right of self-determination for Galicia, and Galician nationalist parties at the time considered it more limited than the never-enacted 1936 Statute.

    • Statute of Autonomy of Galicia of 1981 (Wikipedia) link, Background and reception. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: At the Galician regional election of 18 February 2024, the Popular Party (PP) won 40 of 75 seats (47.4%), an absolute majority; the BNG won 25 seats (31.3%), a gain of 6; the PSdeG–PSOE won 9 seats (14.1%), a loss of 5; and the new party Democracia Ourensana won 1 seat (1.0%).

    • 2024 Galician regional election (Wikipedia) link, results table. Source record
    • Spain's opposition conservatives retain control in Galicia regional elections (France 24, 18 February 2024) link, article text. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Alfonso Rueda, President of the Xunta de Galicia since March 2022 following the early resignation of his predecessor Alberto Núñez Feijóo, led the PP to the 2024 victory and was re-elected president.

  5. 5.

    Claim: A 2020 post-electoral survey by Spain's Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), as reported in the press, found that over 80% of Galician respondents rejected independence, with about 80.2% favouring remaining part of the Spanish state.

    • The PP stagnates in Galicia while the BNG soars, according to the CIS (Ara.cat) link, summary of the CIS survey. Source record

Source note

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/galicia/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.